Janitor Beaten Outside Church (Pastor Preached Against Homosexuality)

The Plain Dealer (Cleveland) ^ | 08-19-03 | Sarah Treffinger

[Paved Paradise]

I have never posted before so have mercy on me. Cleveland Plain Dealer reports the following:

A part-time church janitor suspects men beat him because the pastor preached against homosexuality, police said yesterday.

Richard Bilski, 49, of Sheffield Lake, told police that the unidentified men assaulted him Sunday morning outside the non-denominational Church on the Rise after demanding to know when Pastor Paul Endrei would arrive.

Bilski said the men then fled, one yelling, "This is a message for Pastor Paul."

Capt. Guy Turner said police have no way of knowing the motive for the attack, but Bilski and Endrei said they believe the men were retaliating for an August 10 sermon in which the pastor called homosexuality a sin.

Endrei said in a telephone interview that he preached about the Rev. Gene Robinson, who became the first openly gay Episcopalian confirmed as a bishop.

"I told the congregation, "The Gospel according to Gene Robinson is not the Gospel of Jesus Christ," he said. The point of the sermon was that "we love the homosexual, but we hate the sin."

Buck Harris, a former host of a gay-themed radio talk show said sermons such as Endrei's can fuel hate crimes.

"If they don't preach tolerance, they are preaching violence," Harris said.

[Snuffington]

But I'm surprised that Mr. Bilski wasn't quoted as saying that he is not gay. Maybe he still is and has a family.

I'm really confused why you keep assuming there's any reason to believe the janitor is gay. Absolutely nothing about the story implies that he is. The story says pro-gay thugs went looking for the anti-gay preacher, and beat up the janitor when he wouldn't tell them when he'd arrive. That's it. Where's the gay angle in that?

[Paved Paradise]

I have reread the article and after seeing all these comments, I think you are right. I am sorry I didn't see this angle at first.

[beelzepug]

"That way their trip wasn't for nothing."

That's the way I understood it.

[willieroe]

I didn't drag anyone through the mud buddy...

Really?

[Cindy]

JESUS DEFINES MARRIAGE: "And he answered and said unto them, Have ye not read that he which made them at the beginning made them male and female, And said, For this cause shall a man leave father and mother, and shall cleave to his wife: and they twain shall be one flesh? Wherefore, they are no more twain, but one flesh. What therefore God hath joined together, let not man put asunder." -from THE BIBLE: Matthew 19:4-6

International Healing Foundation

[Gargantua]

"Buck Harris, a former host of a gay-themed radio talk show said sermons such as Endrei's can fuel hate crimes. "If they don't preach tolerance, they are preaching violence," Harris said."

Right.

Preach that homosexuality is a sin, and the violent queers will retaliate by slapping the pee out of you. Talk about your self-fulfilling predictions...

[beelzepug]

Why on God's green earth would anybody be expected to state they are not gay or else have it be presumed that they are? Should married men be presumed to be wife-beaters or Catholic priests alter boy molesters? How did everything get so bass-ackwards?

[Gargantua]

"I'm not sure this incident passes the smell test. Although gay militants have engaged in disruptive acts and acts of vandalism against church property, I'm not aware they have crossed the line into acts of physical violence against persons."

Yeah. Right.

[MEGoody]

"Also, in the article it says the janitor believes the men beat him because the pastor preached against homosexuality. So, to me, that pretty much indicates that the janitor is acknowledging his homosexuality."

That's what you got out of it? From what you said, it sounded like a couple of guys beat up the janitor as a message to the pastor to shut up and not preach against homosexuality any more.

[yankeedame]

Buck Harris, a former host of a gay-themed radio talk show said sermons such as Endrei's can fuel hate crimes.

"If they don't preach tolerance, they are preaching violence," Harris said.
=================================

"....so we're gonna go and beat the &^%#$@ out of him," he added.

[PBRSTREETGANG]

Queer (black-)eye for the straight (cleaning) guy?

[tickles]

Try this, the people who did the attacking were not anti gay but pro gay. they attacked the janitor, not be cause he was gay but because he was in the church and the pastor wasn't available. (that's how I read it)

[dandelion]

Don't worry - sometimes facts like that get "clouded" by the mainstream media. You aren't alone on getting it a little confused, trust me! :)

[aimhigh]

Gays are normally well aware of how things will play in the press, and beating up a janitor will not play well. So I'm not quite ready to believe this incident happened as described.

The above is a liberal view. A true conservative knows the press will never run with a story like this.

[gcruse]

To think that a preacher could be in jeopardy for preaching...

Hey, the janitor got beat up, and you're worrying about the preacher?
LOL

[EdReform]

Ping

[ArGee]

I don't know if this was cleaned up before I read it, but I see it as a couple of gays hitting the church because the pastor called homosexuality a sin. It was gay violence against Christians, not Christian violence against gays.

Shalom.

[sweetliberty]

""If they don't preach tolerance, they are preaching violence," Harris said"

Jesus didn't preach tolerance, @$$^&*#! He preached repentence.

So this is what we've come to.

[ArGee]

To complete my thought, if expressing moral disapproval of homosexuality is equated with preaching violence, then are not ALL expressions of moral disapproval - no matter what the issue - tantamount to encouraging violence?

And what if you are expressing moral disapproval against intolerance?

Now listen carefully, Norman. I am lying.

Shalom.

[OPS4]

The truth is the pastor is right. Soddomites, will have the wrath of God as he showed us in Sodom and Gomorah, so beware, to be a pillar of salt is a soddomites reward.

Those who chose violence, are judging, and they too
wil pay for their actions.

Ops4 God BLess America!